RTL Group | Cologne, 09/08/2017

RTL Honors Volunteers

The winners of the “RTL Com.mit Awards” accepted their awards at the International Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA) in Berlin. The broadcaster RTL presents the awards annually, and in the German election year 2017 it was organized under the motto “Aufmischen, mitgestalten: Junge Mutbürger gesucht!” (Stir something up and co-design: courageous young citizens wanted!).  21 year-old Marek Fink from Hildesheim won the award for voluntary commitment in the “Individuals” category. The law student fights mobbing in schools with a preventive concept: as a neutral consultant, he prepares a lecture custom-tailored to individual classes based on a questionnaire the pupils fill out in order to get them to talk about the issue of mobbing.

The “RTL Com.mit Award” is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and was presented in two additional categories: the award in the “Groups/Clubs” category went to the group “I Love Tegel” from Berlin. The district initiative advocates for better living conditions in Tegel. The three volunteers fight for streets that are more suitable for wheelchairs, for example, or for the preservation of the market hall in the district. With their self-produced video documentaries, they have so far reached 11,000 people with a connection to Tegel and regional politicians through social media.

Online Poll for Audience Award

The Audience Award, which involved an online poll, went to “Eine-Welt-AG” from Erkelenz, which collected donations for projects for street children through a charity concert. Together with the “Willkommen in Erkelenz” association, they also initiated a cooperation project in which young refugees can playfully deepen their German skills through interaction with other people in their age group.

The awards were presented by this year’s patron of the awards, former German President Christian Wulff, and the members of the celebrity jury at N-TV’s IFA booth. This year, RTL Chief Editor Peter Kloeppel, presenter Laura Wontorra (“Ninja Warrior Germany”, “100% Bundesliga”), actress Valea Scalabrino (“Unter Uns”), and Daniel Zimmermann were on site. The Mayor of Mohnheim am Rhein was the youngest mayor in North-Rhine Westphalia when he took office. Earlier, Carolin Kebekus (comedian) and Güter Wallraff (journalist and author) cast their votes as jurors. 

“Commitment Serves As an Exemplar”

Peter Kloeppel, RTL Chief Editor and initiator of the awards, said: “Numerous courageous young citizens have proven at this year’s ‘RTL Com.mit Awards’ that they already made a choice before the elections: for voluntary work, personal initiative and co-designing our society. They have the courage to raise their voice and get active to stir something and promote democracy and social coexistence. This kind of commitment serves as an exemplar.”

The 2017 “RTL Com.mit Awards” specifically aimed at young people between the ages of 15 and 29 years. A total of almost 100 volunteers who stir something up in society and actively co-design democracy applied for the awards. Six submissions made it to the final selection. The celebrity jury then made the final decision about the winners in the two categories “Individuals” and “Groups/Clubs”. Almost 10,000 people voted for the winner of the “Audience Award” on the awards’ website. The six final contributions are presented under the section “Videowall” on the website www.rtlcommit.de  . The “RTL Com.mit Awards” have become an official strategic partner of the “Deutscher Engagementpreis” German commitment awards.